Dress shoe cover



Sept. 10, 1935. RC. SAVALE DRESS SHOE COVER Filed June 15, 1934 Z, ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '7 Claims.

The invention relates to .dress shoe covers, and more particularly to a cover which is so constructed as to be snugly fitted to and firmly secured about the upper of an ordinary dress shoe so as to permit the completion of the ensemble of the costume by a matching of the color of the shoe with that of the material of a dress.

In the cycles of the modes, so'far as they relate to costumes for women, there is a recurrent fashion demanding that the same color scheme or a complementary color scheme, be extended throughout an outfit including dress, hat, gloves and by reason of the practice of wearing the same dress only a few times, shoes because they are more or less costly are a very expensive element in the wardrobe. Furthermore, the short period of their use as determined by the life of a dress with which they are worn, does not permit the wearing of shoes throughout what would be the normal life of the shoe, particularly as shoes of a light, delicate color soil readily. Hence, the life of dress shoes for women is determined largely by their appearance.

With the above conditions in mind, I have provided a dress shoe cover, which can be fitted to the upper of an ordinary shoe and so firmly secured in position that to all intents and purposes, it becomes a part of the shoe, since the means of attachment is practically invisible except upon the closest inspection.

With a cover embodying the invention, it is possible, at very small expense, to match the same pair of shoes with any costume, since the same material of which the dress is made may be employed in the making of the cover: With the use of such a cover, the upper of the shoe itself is so protected that it will not become soiled and by using, with the same pair of shoes, covers of different colors, full advantage may be taken of the normal durability of a pair of shoes.

In this manner, it is possible to adapt oneself to the prevailing mode as to the matching of shoes with dresses, at comparatively small expense, since a considerable number of covers may be produced at a cost less than that of one pair 50 of dress shoes.

The cover of the invention does not project over the sole or the heel of the shoe, so that when in use, except for the means positioned under the shank for firmly attaching the cover to the 55 shoe, the appearance of an ordinary shoe is secured and no part of the cover is subjected to wear from walking or dancing.

The construction of the cover is such as to permit it to be readily and conveniently applied to, and removed from, a shoe, and the number 5 and form of the parts embodied therein are such as to permit the production of the coverat small cost.

The invention consists primarily in a dress shoe cover embodying therein an upper open at 10 the top and at the bottom, an elastic member about the open bottom of the upper and so formed as to fit a shoe above the sole, and means, separable from the shank .of the shoe and from said upper, adapted to pass below said shank 15 and engage said elastic member at opposite sides thereof and contract said member adjacent the shank of a shoe; and in such other novel characteristics as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in 20 the claims hereto appended.

Referring to thedrawing,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a shoe having a dress shoe cover embodying the invention applied thereto, portions of said covering being broken 25 away; a

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan viewof the shoe;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view of the wire frame of the cover; and V 30 Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the preferred form of means for contracting the wire frame.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in 35 the drawing, it is illustrated in connection with a well known form of dress shoe having an upper llLa sole H, heel l2 and shank l3. In such shoes, which are ordinarily turned shoes, there is a slight depression about the upper at the channel about the sole, and I take advantage of this depression, in the use of the cover of the invention, in attaching the cover to the shoe without such ungainliness at the point of attachment as to pronouncedly indicate the presence of the cover.

The cover of the invention itself consists of a fabric upper, the pattern of which corresponds with the ordinary upper of a shoe and has the usual seams. The fabric of the upper of the cover is indicated at I4, this upper being open at the top and at thebottom thereof as well, so that the sole ll, heel l2 and shank 13 are exposed through the bottom of the cover when it is in place on a shoe.

About the open bottom of the cover It is a narrow hem IS in which is held a frame I of small gauge spring wire. The ends of this wire are united at I] by welding, or in any other desired manner, so as, to have a continuous wire frame extending entirely about the bottom of the upper and of a size to closely fit within the depression or groove at the juncture of the upper l0, and the sole II and heel l2. The open top of the upper of the cover is also provided with a narrow hem l8 in which a takeup elastic or draw cord I9 is positioned. The vamp of the-cover should be slightly longer than that of the shoe, and the back quarter of the cover should be slightly higher than that of the shoe. No counter is used in the cover, so that when-not in use it will collapse and occupy but little space.

The wire frame! 6 is preferably made of spring metal of a sufficiently small gauge to form no appreciable bulge about the sole and the heel of the shoe.

I have found that with the use of the wire frame l6 alone, there is a tendency of the cover to creep upwardly away from the sole and expose a narrow strip of the upper below the cover. In order to obviate this, it is necessary to contract the frame IS in a manner to cause it to tightly embrace the shoe and to fit snugly within the slight depression at the juncture of the upper Ill and the sole H and heel II. If, in the manufacture of shoes, the channel about the sole is deepened as compared with the ordinary channel, a wire oflarger gauge may be used and a better fit of the frame to the shoe can be secured.

When spring wire is used, contraction of the frame at all points thereof may be secured by drawing together the opposite sides of the frame positioned at the shank. With a dress shoe having an ordinary French heel, ample space is provided below the shank for the means used for thus contracting the frame, and such means are sufficiently concealed to avoid any objectionable appearance in the cover.

Preferably, I employ a contracting plate 20 of a width slightly greater than that of the shank I I passing below the shank of a shoe and separable therefrom and from the upper, this plate,having upon the opposite sides thereof flanges 2i and 22 forming channels adapted to embrace the edges of the shank and the portions of the wire of the frame adjacent thereto. Like the shank itself, the plate 20 tapers toward the toe of the shoe, so that in attaching the plate there is a wedging action having the two-fold result of drawing the opposite sides of the frame toward the shank and attaching the plate to the shoe sufliciently securely to prevent accidental displacement thereof when walking or dancing. While other contracting means may be employed, I have found the plate 20- to be particularly suited for this pur- With a cover such as is herein described, it is possible to produce wire frames iii of difierent sizes to conform to different sizes of shoes, and to so form the plates 20 as to adapt them to diiferent sizes of wire frames.

The frames, l6 and plates 20 may be made as distinct articles of manufacture, sothat a person desiring to produce the covers may take the same material as that from which a dress is made, and by the use of suitable patterns, make an upper l4 which matches exactly, in color and material, the dress with which the shoes carrying the cover are to be used. The forming of the hems l5 and I8 is an ordinary machine stitching operation,

and the frame It, when included within the bottom hem l5,'ensures a proper sizing of the bottom of the upper of the cover. An elastic or draw cord included in the upper hem l8 ensures a proper fit of the top of the cover to the foot. The greater length of the vamp and height of the back quarter of the upper of the cover is to permit the material of the upper It to overlay the top of the upper of the shoe proper, so as to conceal the shoe when a cover is used thereon.

After the completion of the cover, the shoe is slipped toe first through the open top of the cover and the frame I6 fitted by hand about the channel of the sole. The plate 201s then engaged with the opposite sides of the wire frame adjacent the shank and slid toward the heel until it is firmly wedged in position. As it moves rearwardly, the tapered flanges 2| and 22 of the plate engage the wire of the frame l6 toward the toe of the shoe.

It is customary, in ladies shoes, to give a certain arch to the shank, and a corresponding arch must be given to the plate 20 in order to secure the desired snug fit between this plate and the under face of the shank. I

In ladies dress shoes the heel covering sometimes conforms to that of the upper and sometimes is of a neutral color, or is decorated with rhinestones. With the cover of the invention, it is obvious that it will be necessary to provide heels having covers of neutral colors, such as gold 3 or silver or decorated with stones as above stated, since no provision is made in the cover for conforming the color of the heel to the upper of the cover,

With the use of covers as described, the same 3 shoes may be used with a variety of different dresses, and by the use of different covers, each time the shoes are worn they may be matched with the materialof different dresses. If desired, in travelling to or from a place of entertainment, covers'embodying the invention may be used solely, for the purpose of protecting the shoe from accidental soiling thereof.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawing, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is:--

1. A dress shoe cover embodying therein an upper open at the top and at the bottom, an elastic member-about the open bottom of the upper and so formed as to fit a shoe above the sole, and means, separable from the shank of the shoe and from said upper, adapted to pass below said shank and engage said elastic member at opposite sides thereof and contract said member adjacent the shank of a shoe.

2. A dress shoe cover embodying therein an 60 upper open at the top and at the bottom, an endless spring wire frame conforming in contour 0 3. A dress shoe cover embodying therein an upper of fabric so patterned as to snugly fit the upper of a shoe, said upper being open at the top and at the bottom thereof, and having a vamp of greater length, and a back quarter of greater 7 wire frame about the open bottom of the upper and so formed as to fit a shoe above the sole, and a contracting plate of a width slightly greater than that of the shank of the shoe, and having upon opposite sides thereof channel forming flanges adapted to embrace the edges of the shank portion of a shoe and portions of the" wire frame adjacent said shank portion.

5. A dress shoe cover embodying therein an upper open at the top and at the bottom, an endless spring wire frame conforming in contour with the bottom of the upper adjacent the sole of a shoe, and connected adjacent the open bottom of the upper, and a contracting plate of a width slightly greater than that of the shank of 'a shoe,

.and having upon opposite sides thereof channel forming flanges adapted to embrace the edges of the shank portion of a shoe and portions of the wire frame adjacent said shank portion.

6. A dress shoe cover embodying therein an upper of fabric so patterned as to snugly fit the upper of a shoe, said upper being open at the.

top and at the bottom thereof, and having a vamp of greater length, and a back quarter of greater height, than that of the shoe upper to which the cover is to be fitted, hems about the open top and the open bottom of said upper, takeup means in the hem about, the top of the upper, a flexible wire 5 slightly greater than that of the shank of a shoe,

and having upon opposite sides thereof channel forming flanges adapted to embrace the edges of the shank portion of a, shoe and portions of the wire frame adjacent said shank portion.

'7. A dress shoe cover embodying therein an up-. per of fabric so positioned as to snugly fit the upper of a shoe, said upper being open at the top and at the bottom thereof, and having a vamp of greater length, and a back quarter of greater height, than that of the shoe upper to which the cover is to be fitted, hems about the open top and the open bottom of said upper, takeup means in the hem about the top of the upper, an endless spring wire frame conforming in contour with the bottom of the upper adjacent the sole of a shoe positioned in the hem about the bottom of the upper, said frame being so formed as to fit a shoe above the sole, and a contracting plate of a width slightly greater than that of the shank of a shoe, and having upon opposite sides thereof channel forming flanges adapted to embrace the edges of the shank portion of a shoe and portions of the wire frame adjacentsaid shank portion.

, ROSILDA C. SAVALE. 

